One day he toyed with the idea of starting a blog following the example of Locust Tunghok, so he got all the infrastructure set up, including a domain and web hosting and then couldn't be arsed to write with any regularity.

EE-Usk is a small seafood restaurant on the shore of Oban, right on the North Pier. The view was supposed to be great, but a giant yacht was moored at the pier on the day and no view could be seen. Had the lunch set which included fried brie as appetizer and the fish and chips as main. The bread that first came was quite bad, to the extent that you’ll only bother with it because you’re hungry and it’s…

We were out hunting for a burger & lobster to satisfy our cravings for lobster, so naturally that’s what I ordered once we were seated. We didn’t need to wait for a table fortunately, although the not-so-small restaurant filled up soon enough afterwards. It was delicious. My only complaint was that there were way too many claws (how is that possible?) and not enough body meat. Unfortunately I find the bodies to be juicier and have better texture than the…

We knew that the Pot Still, as its name and its giant whiskey wall suggests, is a whiskey bar. Yet being unable to fit a whiskey session into our short Glasgow itinerary, we came here for lunch and beer instead. It was still not a bad decision. The food offered here are basically sandwiches and pies and homemade pies. Playing the tourist, we naturally went for the Haggis, neeps and tottie pie and the “Couldn’t be more Scottish” pie, which…

Any comment on Flat Iron must be made with the note that the steak here costs only a tenner. Yup – just 10 Pounds Sterling for a decent steak. Everything else naturally cost extra: the chips, the sauce, the drinks. As such, comparing it with “proper” (read: expensive) steakhouses like Hawksmoor would not be fair. The environment was comfortable. Rather spacious, in fact, as we visited at some odd hour in the afternoon, which is a time when an afternoon tea…

We had our brunch at Honest Burgers Camden on a rainy morning, just before they were supposed to open. Exploring Camden Market without only a latte and some cake for breakfast made us crave for an early lunch. The staff had no problem letting us in to escape the rain, but reminded us that we’d have a good few minutes to look at the menu before they can punch our orders into the system. No problem with us at all, as…

We have joined the Platinum tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience, which included a tasting of four whisky from different regions (Highland, Lowland, Speyside and Islay). The four whiskies offered were decent and may be representative of the regions, but were not particularly good. That said, given the price it is probably reasonable that the whiskies offered were not particularly outstanding. The scratchy card that release scents that are supposedly representative of the regions, unfortunately, was distinctly artificial. It does…

The key for dining at Rock & Sole Plaice is your expectations. If you expect to have the best fish and chips in London (or even good fish and chips), then you will be disappointed. If you want to have fish and chips at one of the oldest chip shop in town for the sake of it, regardless of whether it is good, then go ahead. For me, good fish and chips need to have crispy crust that is light…

We stayed at the Bowmore House for 3 nights as part of our Scottish Routs whisky tour of Islay. The hosts Andrew and Alison were great, the food (and whisky) at breakfast were great. Of course, when on a whisky tour one would need a nice hearty breakfast to prepare for the whiskies! The room was clean and tidy and the bathroom was huge. The location of the Bowmore House is perfect. It is not far from the city center of…

The Doubletree by Hilton Beijing hotel was good enough for its room rates – given that it wasn’t expensive, it is understandable that some features would be missing. It lacks, for example, a proper desk in the room, which could be a problem for business travellers. There is also no bathtub in the bathroom. Internet is free if you join membership, but fast internet is paid. The room itself felt clean, except for the leather(ish) sofa / chairs which always…

Stumbled upon this ramen restaurant when I was trying to find lunch in the malls in this area. Ramen Nagi is one of the many restaurants facing the park of the Greenbelt malls and is not difficult to find. Did not have to wait, either, when I visited for lunch. Service here was sufficiently quick, and I benefited from being here really late for lunch. From the look outside there would have been a long line had I been here…